Daniel asked them to pray that God would have mercy on them and reveal the mystery of this dream. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. Consider, for example, his: Ancestry: Daniel came from a family background that was noble in character (1.3). Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and the other satraps were all prideful. In our first article we looked at the lives of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, and our second examined Moses, Joshua, and David. Moses often did this when he prayed for the people in the wilderness. Solomon was well aware God hated idolatry, but persisted in it for the sake of political alliances through his marriages. Joab David King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream which greatly troubles hima dream which no one can interpret. Daniel also distinguished himself wherever he turned (6:3). And what a prayer it is! This person over here helped me. Without this persons help, I could not have done the best job I could do. It is hard to think about being thrown into a den with bloodthirsty lions. It is equally important for us to remain faithful irrespective of how others live. King Nebuchadnezzar has another dream, and when his Chaldean interpreters fail to interpret it, he sends for Daniel and acknowledges that the Spirit of God rests upon him. Jews loved their homeland, Jerusalem, and the temple, but were forced from their homes and taken to a foreign culture and country. Naturally Daniel refuses to accept this decree and openly prays to God, whereupon he is thrown into a lions den. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from Godthat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Cor. Would you be ready to meet Him if Christ came today? In spite of Solomons great wisdom, he made the destructive mistake of allowing the worship of false gods in Israel, primarily through the influence of his many wives from other nations. While Daniel was in the kings court, he wanted Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego to be appointed administrators over the province of Babylon (. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Character Studies E-book Get ourCharacter Studies E-book, with 8 practical lessons on important Bible heroes of the faith. As with Joseph, he resisted the danger of conforming to the culture of his day (cp. The Orthodox also commemorate them on the two Sundays before the Nativity of Christ. Daniels response was such a conviction to me! As a result, the King immediately gave him the gifts he mentioned above. Peer pressure was strong to get him to conform. He gives King the interpretation that he is to be removed from his office and would dwell among the beasts of the field until he recognizes that God is the Most High is ruler over earth and He is the one who gives it to whom he wills (vs 20-25). Cindy is a writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chaps. There are no prophets today but God still gifts His people to serve Him (1 Cor 12). In the lions' den miracle, Daniel's trial resembles that of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, and Daniel's escape from certain death is like Jesus' resurrection. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. and taken to Babylon after the siege of Jerusalem ended (it started in 605 B.C.) the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. How about you? My hope is that as you have read this and do further study on Daniel, you will see why Daniel was called a man of high esteem (Dan 10:11,19). I like his approach of giving the king a, In Chapter 9:2, Daniel was reading the Scriptures and realized that the number of years that they were being held captive in Babylon all these years was because of their sin. . This happened in three separate waves, and Ezra led the second wave back to Jerusalem. 1:8, NIV). It is so great to hear when God has answered a believers prayers! God had a plan for Israel and this nation and that Daniel was a part of it. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. The king then promoted them to high office, decreeing that anyone who spoke against God should be torn limb from limb.[5]. He served some of the most powerful leaders in the history of the world. The starting-point in studying a Bible personality is to consider the setting. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today and he writes and edits for Christian ministries and publishers. He was never one to act hastily, but he was patient and prayerful. All the rest of his life he lived in a pagan and sinful culture. When I read her email the other day, I thought of how she was being an example of how to deliver news with compassion and respect. Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1, NIV). Gods power is so miraculous. We hope what you find here will add to your understanding of and appreciation for the Bible. After Daniel had interpreted King Nebuchadnezzers dream, the king fell on his face to worship him and ordered incense and offerings to be made to him. His Diet: He wouldn't compromise on ritually unclean foods, but ate only vegetables. Even though it isnt what I thought Id be doing during the day, it has lessened my stress and I work mostly from home. Solomon succeeded his father, David, as king of Israel. Perhaps in doing so, the king will still have a time of prosperity (vs 27). So, he asked his friends for prayer help. Noah 1:28-29, NIV). This awareness enables us to always keep our spiritual standards high. Daniel 1 Daniel Removed to Babylon 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. We can call on the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. The story of the fiery furnace does not include Daniel, while the story of the lions' den does not include Daniel's friends; the first story takes place under Nebuchadnezzar and the second under Darius; and in the first story the disobedience to the earthly ruler takes place in public, while in the second Daniel petitions God in private. Scripture says that No error or fault was found in him (Dan 6:4 ESV), so they decided they could trap Daniel in how he regarded the law of God (vs 5). Daniel also had four visions that predicted how future world kingdoms would unfold, all the way to the end of time (Daniel 7-12). He calls for the sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the Temple in Jerusalem to be set on his table so that his lords and ladies might drink from them. But that kind of with isn't a distant and far off kind of presence; no, God is with us in the minutest details of our lives. They brought home some vessels from Gods house and kidnapped some of the sons of Israel royal family and nobles. Daniel Follow us: Home Resources Insights on the Bible The Major Prophets Listen to Chuck Swindoll's overview of Daniel in his audio message from the Classic series God's Masterwork. [17] The song is alluded to in odes seven and eight of the canon, a hymn sung in the matins service and on other occasions in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Wisdom dictated a better approachthat of designing a creative alternative. What compassion he had for this man in knowing the outcome of the dream was not a good one! He made up his mind to not defile himself with the Kings food. [Sign up to get the Know the Bible free email lesson series from Bible Gateway]. Of course, none of the magicians or astrologers can interpret it. How often are we the brunt of someones anger and we respond inappropriately? D Newell, An Introduction to Bible Prophecy (5): The Great Tribulation (2) While teaching our womens. Sarah You may enjoy this sermon on Daniels end-time prophecy. She is a full-time Information Services manager by day and a writer at night. I wanted to get promoted in my department but the Lord had other plans. 1. He never relied on himself or trusted in his own strength or wisdom (though he was very smart and good looking too!). Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel - Daniel 1:8-9 In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the feast day of the three youths, along with Daniel, is 17 December. (Daniel 7:13-14). He was born into Judah's royal family and was likely a relative of King Zedekiah. He was a wise man, an adviser in the personal service of Nebuchadnezzar (1:19-20). Daniel 3 forms part of a chiasmus (a poetic structure in which the main point or message of a passage is placed in the centre and framed by further repetitions on either side) within Daniel 27, paired with Daniel 6, the story of Daniel in the lions' den:[10], Chapters 3 and 6 contain significant differences. Jonathan Paperback Book You can alsoorder a paperback version of the Character Studies book from Amazon. Despite Daniel's grim words, the king did clothe Daniel in purple and place a gold chain around his neck. Were now surveying the lives of Solomon, Daniel, and Ezra, while also drawing out some lessons we can apply to our own lives as followers of Christ. . He also knew that if God wanted him to perish, God would still get the glory! It is generally accepted that the Book of Daniel originated as a collection of stories among the Jewish community in Babylon and Mesopotamia in the Persian and early Hellenistic periods (5th to 3rd centuries BCE), expanded by the visions of chapters 712 in the Maccabean era (mid-2nd century). CONTEXT. 1915, Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, "1611 King James Bible. She is a full-time Information Services manager by day and a writer at night. This is a complex, and at the same time exciting, book. Remember, however, that the whole point and purpose of prophecy is not to alight on a date, but to encourage us ever to be ready for that wonderful event. The Queen hears what is going on and tells the king about Daniel who can explain these difficult things (vs. 6-12). This page/post may contain affiliate links. Not long after Daniel and his companions take up their court duties, they are faced with a severe test. Thus Ezra made the people swear an oath to separate themselves from their foreign spouses. The main lesson we learn from Daniels life is the importance of being aware that God is watching and evaluating every one of our words, thoughts, actions and attitudes. For Daniel, we know he lived through the entire period of captivity (1.21), lasting 70 years (Jer 25.11-14; 29.10-14). Hes remembered most for building the temple in Jerusalem, which would stand for several hundred years. Hes the author of numerous wise sayings recorded in the book of Proverbs, and is traditionally believed to be the author of the books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. The saying originates in the Proverbs but nowhere is it more dramatically and thoroughly played out than in Daniel chapter 4. He let the commander know that they could test this out for 10 days and see if his option worked and made their appearance look fine (vs 12). They were ordered to learn the language of the Chaldeans, given a daily ration of the Kings food and wine and trained for 3 years. Daniel could have told Belshazzar to take a flying leap after he read the inscription on the wall. (James 3:17, NIV). She is a wife to Dave for 33 years, a mother of two grown kids who serve the Lord, one son-in-love, one daughter-in-love, 3 wonderful grandchildren and one on the way. WEB: When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. His record is without blame. I Lewis, The Christophanies Scriptures: If Daniel read and studied the Scriptures (9.1-2), then we too must read them regularly and systematically. Select all the topics you most frequently turn to the Bible to get help with: The Bible Gateway Blog features the latest news, announcements, and reflections from Bible Gateway. Do you share accolades when it is due to others? After Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar his dream and its interpretation he was made the overseer over the province of Babylon and all the wise men and magicians in the Babylonian kingdom.